MYOB Maintenance

Hi NikkiParsons​ , I don't believe there is any more I can say on this matter sorry.

The only point I will make right now is that saying we had a 'system outage for 11 hours' is misleading.

We had 10.5 hours of system maintenance, which was reflected on our status page, and was completed outside of business hours. 
Unfortunately this system maintenance went for an additional period of around 30 minutes, instead finishing at ~7am AU.

This is a compliance risk issue, not a minor inconvenience.

We experienced a complete system outage for approximately 11 hours, with no clear advance notification.

To be precise:

• There was no direct or proactive communication enabling planning around the outage
• The only indication of “maintenance” was identified after the system stopped working, via the Status Hub
• The outage extended beyond the communicated 6:30am timeframe
• The Status Hub then indicated systems were operational when access was still not possible

This resulted in a full lockout of client data during a critical processing window. The message said temporary.

For practices managing payroll, superannuation and BAS obligations, this creates real compliance exposure, including:

• inability to process payroll within required timeframes
• risk of failing PayDay Super expectations
• inability to meet client and statutory deadlines

The current position that:

• prior “blanket communications” are sufficient, and
• no direct process changes will be implemented

is not appropriate for software relied upon in a regulated environment.

In-product messaging is not a valid control when users cannot access the system.
Status Hub is not a valid control if it does not reflect actual system availability in real time.

Even the ATO provides clear, proactive notification of planned maintenance, recognising the compliance obligations placed on agents and businesses.

Expecting users to discover outages only after systems fail — and then rely on inaccurate status reporting — is not an acceptable standard.

An 11-hour inability to access client data, combined with incorrect system status and no advance notice, represents a failure of both system reliability and compliance-supporting communication.

If MYOB is to be relied upon for payroll and statutory obligations, these controls are not optional.

What specific changes will be implemented to ensure:

• clear, advance notification of outages, and
• accurate, real-time system status where maintenance exceeds planned windows?

Hi NikkiParsons​ , 

This was largely answered in my previous response.
But I will note some again for clarity

From your message: The key concerns remain:

• The maintenance window was exceeded by a material margin
  • Agree, this has occurred twice for you now where we have noted a 6:30am end time for maintenance and we have exceeded this. The feedback is noted
• The Status Hub did not reflect the actual system availability
  • Status hub was updated based on the maintenance window of 8pm 19/03 - 6:30am 20/03. As the system was still unavailable after 6:30, when you checked, it appeared as though there was no notification. You then found and have provided the screenshot for the scheduled maintenance but this was based on the 6:30am end time and you checked at 6:43am. 
• No direct or targeted notification was issued in advance
  • In product messaging and status hub updates were provided. Along with the messaging in November and February. It was not possible in this instance for us to provide direct messaging. You feedback is noted
• The communication referenced prior “blanket statements” (November / February), which are not a substitute for specific, timely outage notifications
  • I understand this is frustrating, I agree with your position and we would not normally operate this way. As above, feedback is noted
• The impact was inconsistent with the messaging provided (described as disruption, experienced as full lockout)
  • The scheduled maintenance message does state this would be a 'lockdown' 
    

There will be no direct process changes as a result of this.
I will work with the team performing this maintenance to feedback that maintenance occurring outside of the communicated window has occurred twice now and that we need to work to ensure this does not continue.

We make these changes in a way that aims to provide the least disruption to our customers, although everyone is different, it would be fair to say that most people work during business hours which is why we target maintenance overnight (8pm to 6:30am) - this also caters to our NZ customers (10pm - 8:30am for them) 

Mike_MYOB​ 

Thank you for your response. I appreciate the acknowledgement, however the explanation does not address the severity of the impact experienced.

To be clear, this was not a minor overrun or partial disruption.

We were unable to access a single file for approximately 11 hours. This represents a complete service outage, not a limited or “not all customers” scenario.

The key concerns remain:

• The maintenance window was exceeded by a material margin
• The Status Hub did not reflect the actual system availability
• No direct or targeted notification was issued in advance
• The communication referenced prior “blanket statements” (November / February), which are not a substitute for specific, timely outage notifications
• The impact was inconsistent with the messaging provided (described as disruption, experienced as full lockout)

The statement that direct email communication was “not possible” is particularly concerning. Given MYOB regularly distributes other communications, this suggests a process or prioritisation gap, rather than a technical limitation.

More importantly, the current approach assumes that:

• Users will not be impacted, or
• That generic prior communications are sufficient

Neither is appropriate for a system relied upon for payroll and compliance functions.

This is now a repeated pattern:

1. Maintenance overruns
2. Lack of clear, proactive notification
3. Status reporting not aligned with actual system availability

Passing feedback to the team is noted, however this does not provide any assurance of change.

Accordingly, I request confirmation of the following:

1. What specific process changes will be implemented to ensure advance, targeted notification of maintenance that may impact access
2. How MYOB will ensure the Status Hub accurately reflects real-time system availability, particularly in overrun scenarios
3. What service standards or internal controls exist to manage maintenance windows and prevent extended outages of this nature

An 11-hour inability to access client data is not operationally sustainable for a bookkeeping practice managing payroll and compliance obligations.

I would appreciate a response that clearly outlines what will change in practice, rather than general commentary on process as well as how to lodge a formal complaint. Thank you

Hi NikkiParsons​ , I can see this maintenance went past the scheduled time of 6:30 based on your screenshots which is certainly disappointing and would affect the visibility in status hub for this maintenance as well.

The maintenance we are completing will not always affect all customers and is being completed in a reasonably agile way.

Because of this, we communicated a more blanket statement about upcoming maintenance and disruptions in November and again on the 1st Feb.

Based on your previous feedback, I am pleased to see that status hub is being updated and I acknowledge that a direct email inn advance would be the best outcome, 9 times out of 10, this is something we would do, but for this scenario it hasnt been possible.

I will pass to the team that there are now at least 2 noted occurrences of our maintenance running past the scheduled time as well and hope that this can be tightened.

So disappointed................

Good morning Mike_MYOB​ 

We experienced a full service outage last night while performing scheduled work, with no prior awareness that MYOB would be unavailable.

After significant time spent investigating, we eventually located a maintenance notice indicating a “temporary lockdown.” Not totally inaccessible and unusable. 

 However:

• This was not proactively communicated via email or any clear alert
• The wording did not clearly convey a full system outage
• There was no practical guidance on expected impact aside from temporary outages. 
• The suggested MYOB Community link was not accessible (login unavailable and no visible updates)

As a result, two staff members were allocated to work and remained on standby, repeatedly checking system access late into the evening and early morning (including after 2am), without any clarity on when services would resume.

This is not a minor inconvenience — it directly impacts payroll processing and compliance obligations, particularly with PayDay Super requirements now in place.

And after the 2026.2 upgrade yesterday morning which removed settings permissions across ever file, and poor stability, it added insult to injury.

For comparison, the ATO publishes clear, forward maintenance schedules. This allows practitioners to plan and avoid exactly this scenario.

At a minimum, we would expect:

• Advance email notification with a clear subject line (e.g. “Scheduled Maintenance – Service Unavailable”)
• Plain language confirming full system outage where applicable
• Accurate and accessible status updates during the outage
• Functional support channels during downtime

Directing users to a community page that is inaccessible during an outage is not an acceptable fallback.

Please advise:

1. Why no clear, proactive notification was issued
2. Why the outage was not clearly communicated as a full service disruption
3. What changes will be implemented to ensure this does not occur again
4. Why the system wasn't even up and running after 6.30am despite your status page saying everything was normal - and yes, I have time stamped screen shots.

We rely on MYOB to meet time-sensitive payroll and compliance obligations. The current communication approach does not support that.

I look forward to your response.

Hi NikkiParsons​ ,

Thank you so much for your continued feedback – it’s genuinely helpful, and I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. I completely understand how frustrating this has been for you and other MYOB customers, and I want to acknowledge the impact it’s had.

I’d like to clarify what’s been happening, as there are two separate situations that overlapped during this time:

Issue one > Scheduled maintenance

You’re absolutely right that this maintenance, which took place overnight on the 23rd, affected your ability to sign in on the morning of the 24th. It was scheduled to finish by 9am NZDT, but I understand it continued to affect logins until around 9:30am.

This maintenance is part of the upgrades we’re making to improve the MYOB experience – something I’ve shared more about here. Because we’re updating customers in stages, not everyone was affected, but I completely understand that doesn’t make it any less frustrating when you are.

You’ve also raised a really fair point about communication. The login message and my earlier announcement both directed customers to our status page for updates, and you're right, there was no notification posted there for this maintenance.

I’ve already raised this with the team to make sure future maintenance is properly reflected in Status Hub, so we can keep everyone better informed.

Issue two > Incident affecting payroll access or processing

This issue was first reported on 24 February, and it took time to fully understand what was happening and how many customers were affected.

Initially, we saw a mix of experiences, some customers could still process payroll in their browser, others found that deleting and retrying a payrun worked, and some couldn’t access payroll at all. This made it more complex to pinpoint the root cause.

An update was posted to our status page on the morning of 25 February, which you can still view here.

You also asked why advance notice wasn’t given, especially with BAS implications, and you're right to expect transparency. Because this was an unexpected incident rather than planned maintenance, we weren’t able to notify customers in advance, but I completely understand the stress that causes when you're relying on the system.

I want to apologise again for the disruption and frustration this caused you earlier this week. Your feedback helps us improve, not just in how our systems perform, but in how we communicate with you.

If you’d like to discuss how these recent events specifically affected your business – or if you’d prefer to make a formal complaint – you’ll find all the contact options here, including how to escalate your concerns.

Regards, Mike

Mike_MYOB​

Would you please confirm when, how, and to whom the scheduled maintenance — described as “scheduled maintenance which ran slightly overtime and affected your ability to login around 9am NZST” — was communicated?

Please provide:

• The date the notification was issued
• The communication channel used (email, in-product alert, status page, etc.)
• The subject line of the notice
• A copy of the communication, if possible

We had no prior awareness that MYOB would be unavailable. This meant staff were allocated to payroll and compliance tasks, only to be locked out of the system without explanation.

With PayDay Super obligations now in force and payroll functions being time-critical, system access is not optional — it is fundamental to meeting statutory deadlines. Even the ATO publishes forward maintenance schedules so practitioners can plan accordingly.

The issue here is not that maintenance occurs — we understand that. The issue is the absence of clear, proactive, and prominent communication enabling businesses to make contingency arrangements. Sales and promotional emails are distributed regularly; therefore, the capability to issue advance outage notices clearly exists.

Given the compliance implications for BAS agents and employers, I would appreciate a detailed response outlining:

• Why advance notification did not reach clients
• Why the outage was not clearly reflected on the status page
• What process changes will be implemented to ensure future planned maintenance is communicated prominently and in advance

This is not a minor inconvenience. It directly impacts our ability to meet payroll and superannuation obligations on behalf of clients.

I look forward to your prompt and transparent response.

Hi BooksForBiz​ and NikkiParsons​ 
There are two separate things being confused here

There was the scheduled maintenance which ran slightly overtime and affected your ability to login around 9am NZST.
We were discussing this, and this is where I was referring to MYOB publishing the scheduled maintenance on the status page.

Subsequent to the login issue with scheduled maintenance, you have then later in the day encountered an error with your payroll.

I wholeheartedly agree that this is not a minor issue and once identified and investigated, we will likely get something raised today on our status page depending on what we discover.

I apologise that my response wasn't taking your payroll difficulties seriously yesterday, but I was not able to interpret that "there are still significant payroll issues" meant that you were in fact having an issue in realtime yesterday.

I can see that there have been forum posts from 4-5 different members about the 'something went wrong' error with payroll yesterday and will be raising this for investigation